


Affirmations

by Shadow_of_Quill



Series: Replacement [5]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, ambiguous ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-15
Updated: 2016-09-15
Packaged: 2018-08-15 05:32:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8044303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadow_of_Quill/pseuds/Shadow_of_Quill
Summary: Ideas or beliefs being upheld, stated in a firm, positive manner.





	Affirmations

Frisk runs through an empty white Void on a path of Human Determination, _knowing_ it leads to the monster they're here to rescue. The path is wide enough to hold them, Dr. Gaster (who runs beside them with firm steps) and Sans (who they're almost dragging, feet unable to keep to a rhythm).

Undyne runs _beside_ the path, Determination that does not come from Frisk glowing under her feet each time they touch the not-ground.

Scalene follows behind Frisk, watching to catch anyone who falls behind.

They all hope they'll make it in time - whatever _that_ means here, where time doesn't exist.

 

The figure is hard to make out, at first. White cape, white clothes, white gloves, white bones - but there are shadows, there are contrasts, and Undyne shouts with triumph as the small group realise that they are heading towards a skeleton whose outfit has had the colour leached from it.

The skeleton turns, notices them. They - he? - is fairly tall - taller than Sans and Frisk and Scalene, but a little shorter than Undyne, and shorter still than Gaster. Frisk tries to speed up, scared he'll run, flee - but he stands and watches them, skull cocked to the side as if he's puzzled.

There's no warning before they all slam into the wall.

"WHA-?!!!" Undyne protests, slams her fists against the not-air as if she can pound it into submission. 

The skeleton watches.

Scalene gives a huff of breath that isn't - quite - a bitter laugh. "We need to get through to him."

Sans glances back at her. "metaphorically or literally?"

"There's no difference. Not here." For a moment, Scalene is a grey shadow staring at them all with blank white eyes. For a moment, Dr. Gaster is a towering black mass with a white mask for a face. For a moment - and then it's gone, and they're just as they've always been.

"you were behind the door," Sans breathes, eyeing the two monsters he's worked beside for so long ( _how_ long?) with creeping horror.

Frisk perks up - that means Dr. Gaster and Scalene can tell them how to reach the skeleton, doesn't it?

"Perhaps If You Try Calling His Name," Dr. Gaster suggests, subdued.

Frisk looks around at their companions. _They_ don't know the skeleton's name - they never met him, and the flower never said what it was. But these are the people who missed him strongly enough to come with them into the Void to find him again, so surely...

Surely...?

The skeleton gives them all a reassuring grin, white cape billowing in a nonexistent wind. 

Undyne pounds on the wall again, trying to break through. Sans presses a hand to it as if testing for consistency.

No one speaks. The skeleton's grin is encouraging -

"RRRRAAAAAAAGGHH!!!! I!! DON'T!! KNOW!!!!" Undyne shrieks, battering at the invisible obstruction.

The skeleton's grin fades to a grimace. His hands come up to claw at his head as his face dissolves into static - and then it's as if the world stutters, and he's stood smiling at them all again.

Undyne's fists drop to her sides as she stares, appalled.

 _Keep smiling, it's all you're good for._ Frisk isn't sure if they hear the words or just remember them.

Is there a difference, here?

Sans presses his hand against the air harder. "bro," he whispers.

The skeleton grimaces again, hands going to his skull as his face vanishes - but it fades quickly, this time, and he puts his arms back down. " _bro,_ " Sans chokes out, and this time the skeleton's whole body flails as if he's attacking himself - and then his arms are by his sides again, and he smiles as if nothing happened.

" _papyrus._ "

The barrier crumbles under Sans' hand.

"HELLO, BROTHER," the skeleton - Papyrus - says, still smiling with the same rehearsed brightness. "WHY ARE ALL OF YOU HERE?"

"Looking for YOU, ya DOOFUS!!!!" Undyne yells, stepping forwards - into air that thickens around her till it's like wading through syrup.

Papyrus looks happily surprised by her words. Frisk thinks it's genuine. And now they can all hear each other, even if they're being held in place - that _has_ to be a good sign!

Doesn't it?

"YOU - YOU CAME LOOKING? FOR ME?"

Frisk nods firmly, even though they know they're the least important person here. A stranger's choice can't mean nearly as much as a -

"TOO DAMN RIGHT WE DID!!!!!"

\- friend's.

Papyrus focusses on Undyne. "WHY?" he asks, and there's a not-quite-echo under the words "(PLEASE DON'T LIE THIS TIME)" that Frisk thinks he didn't mean for any of them to hear.

It makes Undyne wince, but she doesn't falter. "NNGAAAGH!!! Isn't it OBVIOUS?? WE MISSED YOU!!!"

Frisk thinks they see hope flicker in Papyrus' eyesockets.

"(WHY?)" His jaw doesn't move, he doesn't _say_ the word, but it's obvious he means it - obvious he needs to hear her answer.

"You got ANY IDEA how BORING cooking alone is?!!!" Undyne growls with the effort as she steps towards him, Determination sparking around her. "And I've got NO ONE to SPAR with now, 'cause they're all a bunch of WIMPS that won't even try TALKING to me!!!!!" She takes another step. "I MISS YOU!!!!"

The resistance holding them back might be weaker.

"Look, I'm sorry I was such a lousy friend that I made you feel like you HAD to be happy ALL THE TIME, but -" Undyne grabs at the air frustratedly, still trying to reach him - "it's not you being HAPPY I miss!! It's YOU!!!!"

Something gives way around her, and she's stood almost in front of Papyrus.

"I... I..."

Dr. Gaster clears his throat. "I Am Sure You Have Observed The Results Of Our Exchanged Places."

Papyrus looks at him immediately. His smile is painful as he says, "YES! AND I WAS RIGHT - YOU ARE MUCH MORE NECESSARY THAN I AM!!" He spreads his hands helplessly. "IF I WERE THERE, THE BARRIER WOULD STILL BE UNBROKEN!!!"

His face flickers with static again. Undyne flinches, and he reaches up to grab himself, startled.

"It Is Very Unwise To Lie, Here. Even If You Are Unaware You Are Lying." Dr. Gaster steps forward as he speaks, unwavering attention fixed on Papyrus. "There Would Have Been A Different Way To Break The Barrier If I And My Team Were Not Available." His smile is distant, pained. "We All Saw That Much When We Were Here."

Papyrus freezes, stares at him. "I... WOULD HAVE BEEN NECESSARY? WOULD HAVE... I..." and then his face clears. "YOU MEAN _FLOWEY_ WAS NECESSARY."

"As Well," Dr. Gaster says, uncompromising. "The Details Were Never Clear, But The Barrier Never Vanished Without You - Until You Were No Longer Part Of The Timeline." He takes a breath. "My Associates And Myself Were An Inadequate Replacement At Best." His empty gaze stays on Papyrus as he flickers between the masked clump of shadows and his natural skeletal form. (Scalene is beside him, somehow, flickering in counterpoint to him so that one is Void when the other is normal.) "I Apologise For Failing So Badly To Uphold The Terms Of Our Agreement."

Papyrus looks oddly cornered. "YOU - I DIDN'T NOTICE ANY FAILURE ON YOUR PARTS, ANY OF YOU."

Gaster tilts his head/mask. (Scalene mirrors the gesture, blank/thoughtful eyes fixed on Papyrus.) "Did You Never See Snowdin?"

A burst of static over Papyrus' face is all the answer he receives. It's the only answer any of them need.

"Your Influence On The Town Was Unimitable," Gaster says gravely - and he hasn't moved a single step, yet he's now stood as close to Papyrus as Undyne, the Void's effects clearing away like mist so that he is perfectly normal as he tells Papyrus, "You Are Needed." (Scalene nods gravely, following him before turning to beckon Frisk forwards.)

Frisk jumps, uncertain - they don't even know Papyrus, how much help can they be? But Papyrus looks hopeful, encouraging, and Frisk finds themself confessing how much they want to know him, how good it would be to have someone else who knows what it's like to have to support everyone because what will happen if they don't? Someone who knows what it's like to be hit and be hurt and _still_ try, _still_ hope, because what else can they do?

They're close enough to almost touch Papyrus' glove, almost take his hand. His voice isn't quite steady as he says, "I BELIEVE I WOULD ALSO LIKE THIS, LITTLE HUMAN."

All of them look to Sans, hoping.

Everything is now balanced so precariously...

_The skeleton loved his brother more than anything in the world._

Sans ignores Frisk's hope, ignores Undyne's threats, ignores Scalene's intent and Gaster's concern. He just stares up at his brother, eyesockets empty.

"you have to ask?"

He waits through the burst of static, patient in a still way Frisk and Undyne have never seen before, in a way Gaster and Scalene might recognise, but only through their unmemories from their time in the Void.

No one knows if Papyrus recognises it.

The static lasts for a long time, but it fades eventually, leaving Papyrus staring back at his brother with soft sadness.

"...YOU WERE HAPPPIER WHEN I WAS GONE."

Sans slowly tenses, grin tightening with fury. " _...What?_ "

"YOU WERE!" Papyrus throws his hands in the air. "YOU HAD OTHER PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTOOD ABOUT THE TIMELINES, AND YOU LIKE YOUR JOB IN THIS LIFE ENOUGH THAT NO ONE HAS TO DRAG YOU OUT OF BED AND YOU DON'T TAKE BREAKS THAT LAST LONGER THAN YOUR WORKHOURS AND YOU AREN'T SPENDING ALL YOUR TIME AT GRILLBY'S AND YOU'RE _HAPPY_ AND -"

"no one'd care if i ain't."

Papyrus stops, frozen.

Sans rocks on his feet, not moving a step. "got the boss letting me live at his house, the least i can do is not make him question whether i'm even worth it. i ain't nearly as much use as most of the assistants - hell, been wondering why he's so invested in me being okay in the first place, you know?" His face is shadowed, grimmer than it should be. "kind of figured i was being paranoid, thinking he was acting like he owed me something.

"'cept he did, didn't he? or he owed _you_ and i'm all he could pay with." A shrug, falsely casual. "same difference.

"but yeah, you don't go shoving your issues down someone's throat after they've given you so much. 'specially not when they feel so pointless..." Sans swallows, tears rimming his eyesockets. "you got any idea what it's like, to miss someone you don't even know _exists?_ "

"SANS..."

" _do you?_ i can't stand our house now, bro, 'cause it always smells wrong and _i don't even know that's 'cause it should smell like burned spaghetti._ the folks at grillby's know me as the weirdo who gets drunk and says 'he'll be here to pick me up' and bursts into tears when they ask 'who' because who knows? i don't!

"The only reason I ain't dusted myself is 'cause someone would hafta clean up the mess."

Papyrus stares at him, confused and horrified. "BUT..."

"i get it if you don't wanna come back for a piece of crap that dumps his issues on you and doesn't bother to notice yours, but -" Sans' anger twists into helplessness - "you've always been the one thing i have i care about."

...

Papyrus is on his knees, crying into Sans' shoulder as colour slowly leaches into his clothes, turning his cape and gloves orange, then red. Sans holds him tight, whispers things none of the others can hear (hides his own tears in the darkening material of his brother's cape).

Undyne leaps to stand next to Papyrus. She grabs him in a tight hug that suddenly transitions to a chokehold, scrubbing her knuckles over his skull. "RRRGH!!! DON'T SCARE ME LIKE THAT AGAIN, YA DOOF!!!!"

"PLEASE DO NOT NOOGIE THE SKELETON!!!" Papyrus protests, but he's hugging her instead of trying to get away.

He probably missed her, too. There's a warmth to the thought that Frisk likes.

Dr. Gaster clears his throat once the two are done with their bonding ritual. "Shall We Collect Your Friend And Leave?"

Papyrus' face lights up with uncertain hope at the words. Sans, by contrast, scowls - as much as he can. "what? the weed that freaked us out with that lie about how pap was going to off himself? got a bone or two to pick with that thing."

"Yeah!" Undyne agrees, eye glowing. "it seriously made it sound like Pap here was gonna off himself! Seriously NOT COOL!!!"

Papyrus looks torn, taps his fingers together.

Scalene speaks up for him. "You can't kill yourself in the Void." She smiles bitterly. "I'm pretty sure all of us tried, one time or another."

Frisk takes in the words, sees Papyrus' fidgeting, and _understands_. If the Void were different... 

They could have been too late.

The thought is like cold slime oozing under Frisk's skin. None of the others seem any happier with it.

Papyrus looks between them. "BUT WHAT DOES FLOWEY HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING?"

"He Tried To Give You Time To... Succeed," Dr. Gaster explains gravely.

Papyrus looks at them all, one at a time, as if expecting an explanation for something none of them have noticed needs one. "...BUT I'M THE ONE YOU CAME HERE FOR?"

"YOU SURE ARE!!!" Undyne roars.

"SO..." Papyrus is smiling doubtfully, "YOU'RE SAYING HE GAVE UP ANY CHANCE OF GETTING YOU TO TAKE HIM BACK IN ORDER TO LET ME DO WHAT I WANTED?"

Everyone pauses as he points out something they'd never have thought of.

"this ain't making me like him any better," Sans grumbles, but Frisk thinks he's lying. It's pretty clear he's going to let Flowey come with them.

Papyrus just laughs at him. "YOU NEVER DID, BROTHER!"

"huh. i knew him? before?"

"WELL." Papyrus looks awkward. "SORT OF?"

"Let's get going already!!" Undyne interrupts, arms twitching in the way that means she's looking for something to suplex. (Frisk catches Scalene's eye and tries to discreetly gesture for her to get further away from the towering Guard.)

"Let's find Flowey and then leave," Scalene agrees, surreptitiously putting Dr. Gaster between herself and Undyne. The tall skeleton just gives her a resigned look, twitching his coat so that she has a larger area to hide behind.

Frisk giggles as they're snatched into the air before Undyne charges off, the rest of their group stampeding after them as the path of Determination widens unevenly.

There's a silent earthquake as the path splits around a monstrous stem.

Jagged teeth gleam in a huge flowerhead.

*Going somewhere?"

Papyrus beams, reaching out as if to hug his friend. "COME ON, FLOWEY! WE'RE ALL GOING HOME!"

Flowey falters, looks at them all - shrinks down till there's a golden flower sat bright and startled on the path before them, staring at his own green leaves in disbelief.

Papyrus scoops him up, hugs him close, and turns to his rescuers. "THAT'S EVERYONE, RIGHT?? LET'S GO!!!"

The seven of them charge towards the doorway back to reality. 

They're all Determined to go home.

(...aren't they?)

**Author's Note:**

> [The skeleton's face dissolves to static...](http://i.gyazo.com/128fb1866f6392aa252b324f238812cd.gif)
> 
> Gif by Lin (of linssins.tumblr.com) for [an unrelated project of their own.](https://linssins.tumblr.com/post/149768896783/a-small-preview-of-a-music-video-ive-been-working)


End file.
